Is Marijuana a Good Treatment for MS Symptoms?

According to a new trial, marijuana provides at least some relief for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who suffer from painful muscle stiffness; however, the drawbacks may keep many sufferers from turning to this psychoactive drug.

Study Yields Interesting Results

Published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, this new research looked at 279 subjects, who suffered from painful muscle stiffness associated with MS. To see if marijuana might alleviate this discomfort, researchers gave 144 participants daily tablets of tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in cannabis. At the same time, they gave the other 135 subjects placebo pills.

In the end, 29.4 percent of participants who received THC pills reported at least some degree of relief from their symptoms, while only 15.7 percent in the placebo group reported similar results.

Is it Worth It?

Although marijuana seemed to help some of the study’s participants, it’s important to note that about 70 percent received no relief. What’s more, even if cannabis did offer all MS patients consistent, reliable relief, many would be turned off by its psychoactive side-effects, which can cause paranoia, while making it difficult to concentrate and function in everyday social situations.